Luxe weddings! Private jets, customised in-flight menus, here's how billionaires work on the ultimate do

Step into the world of the ultra-lavish bash.

Parth Jindal and his baraat at Vienna.
(Image: Instagram/melaniemasarin)

One thousand guests. A dozen private planes. Over a thousand support staff, entertainment, food and beverage personnel and hospitality teams. Fleets of private cars booked for four days of celebration. Over 700 hotel rooms booked. The wedding reception at a venue rumoured to charge Rs 10,000 per person for just setting foot on its premises.

Nepalese billionaire Binod Chaudhary's son Vinod's wedding to Anushree Tongya in Udaipur early this year was an ultra-plush affair. Samit Garg, founder of E-Factor Entertainment that put together the celebrations, calls it a "logistical nightmare", even though it all unfolded without glitches.

The Belvedere Palace Gardens in Vienna are popular for ultra expensive weddings.(Image: https://www.belvedere.at/bel_en/belvedere/garden_and_parks)

Garg's company handled the wedding celebrations of billionaire GVK Sanjay Reddy's daughter Mallika, Vinod Mittal's daughter Natasha and Sahara chief Subrata Roy's sons Sushanto and Seemanto. All these big weddings were challenges in themselves, but Garg singles out Max India chairman Analjit Singh's daughter's wedding Tara in 2013. "It was a different ball game as it took place in his house in Delhi. There were six events, spread across four days. Details matter even more in smaller spaces."

Little details count The past decade has seen a gradual shift in millionaire weddings. The focus now is on creating a unique experience for guests. Wedding planners say that while there's no scrimping on the cost for these swish celebrations, it's the little elements that bind the events together beautifully.

Invites set the tone - it's like the teaser for a film. Kanika Gupta of Iktaara creates invites, comic strips and books for weddings. "The first step is to create a signature through logos. Then there's a Whatsapp campaign that generates buzz. Invitations double up as keepsakes," says Gupta.

Up in the air Vikram Mehta of Mpi re Weddings says that budgets for luxury weddings start from Rs 10 crore. One of his London-based clients getting married in Sri Lanka wanted to push the envelope. "We customised in-flight menus and started shooting videos on the plane. Shooting in the aircraft escalates the budget by at least Rs 5-10 lakh but it's worth it to create a fun experience for guests," says Mehta.

One wedding had Lladro Ganeshas left for the guests in every hotel room. (Image: https://www.lladro.com/figurines/01009277-BANSURI_GANESHA_(GOLDEN_RE-DECO)/)

Goodie bags Hampers up the ante. "One couple had customised trunks to place JBL speakers in it for young guests and silverware for older guests. Once we made high-end sari covers at Rs 3,000 a piece for exquisite sarees and shawls as giveaways at a wedding in Delhi," adds Gupta. Another couple, recalls Mehta, surprised guests by packing in flip flops, selfie stick, a silver plate, personalised gold coin, premium dates, chips and macarons. "The hamper cost Rs 50,000 a piece," he says.

Sentiment attached Garg points out that it's the sentiment attached that matters more than the crores spent. "One couple kept handwritten notes accompanied with Lladro Ganeshas in every hotel room. Another diamond merchant's wedding in Mumbai gave guests limited edition Swiss watches, with a special inscription at the back," he says.

Finally you can make your wedding as extravagant as it comes, but the key is to make your guest feel like he belonged. And, of course, to make your day unforgettable.